SolarFest - Bigger, Better and a Beer Garden

Sunday, July 11, 2010


The 7th Annual SolarFest will be held at Shoreline Community College on Friday and Saturday, July 16 and 17. 

It will begin 7 pm Friday with opening night festivities in the SCC Theatre featuring keynote speaker Marcelo da Luz, builder of a world distance record-setting solar car. The event, with a suggested donation of $10, will include a silent auction accompanied by appetizers and a no-host bar.

Photo: Marcelo da Luz displays his solar car at a Nashville event.

The festival is on Saturday, July 17, from 10 am to 8 pm, in the SCC West parking lot. The SolarFest is free. Parking is $2. Walking, biking, and public transportation are encouraged.

This year's festival features a Beer Garden by Sierra Nevada with sustainably made beer. Features of the SolarFest include:

Exhibitors, Speakers and Presentation.

Kid Zone, with hands-on activities including solar cookers, solar fountains, and using recycled materials to make things that move with solar power.

Taste of Shoreline sponsored by the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce will feature Southern, Asian and Midwestern cuisine.

Live Music, Film Festival.
Transportation Zone with alternative fuel vehicles and electric cars.

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Winners of the 2010 Shoreline Arts Festival Adult Juried Art Shows


The Gallery at Towne Centre is proud to present the winners from the 2010 Shoreline Arts Festival’s Adult Juried Art Shows. 

The show opens on July 14 and runs through August 29. Come on by and take a look at the "Best of the Fest" artwork. 2010 Shoreline Arts Festival jurors Amanda Knowles (2 Dimensional and 3 Dimensional Art) and Minh Carrico (Photography) carefully deliberated over hundreds of entries and the winners are:

2D and 3D Best of Show – Tony Vujovich
2D 1st Place – Phyllis Thornton
2D 2nd Place – Salina Batt
2D 3rd Place – China Kay
Honorable Mention – Joshua Bloch
Honorable Mention – Matt Calcavecchia
Honorable Mention – Millie Brandauer
Honorable Mention – Mary Magnuson

3D 1st Place – Cheryl Johnson
3D 2nd Place – Sam Scott
3D 3rd Place – Dennis Harrison

Photography Best of Show – Ellen Witebsky
Photography 1st Place – John Armstrong
Photography 2nd Place – Gail Yampol
Photography 3rd Place – Peggy Curtis
Honorable Mention – Patricia Rogers
Honorable Mention – R Budd Seslar
Honorable Mention – R Budd Seslar

People’s Choice 2D and 3D – Sheila Theodoratos
People’s Choice More Art – Helen Frenter
People’s Choice Photography – Ellen Witebsky
People’s Choice More Photography – Alfred Pease

Also showing: The 2010 Shoreline–Lake Forest Park Arts Council Portable Works Purchase Awards
Kim Brayman
Louise Nadeau


The Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday 12-5 and Sunday 12-4 on the lower level of the Lake Forest Park Towne Centre. The address is 17171 Bothell Way NE, Suite A-141, Lake Forest Park, WA 98155. For information on the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council call 206-417-4645, see webpage or e-mail.


The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to nurture all of the arts in the community through programs and events, arts education, advocacy, and support for artists and arts organizations. Proceeds from the Gallery at Towne Centre help fund these programs and events.

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Free Slurpees on Sunday at participating 7-11's

From our NewsPartner The Seattle Times
The 7-Eleven chain celebrates its founding with free Slurpee frozen concoctions on — when else? — July 11.
Get free Slurpee drinks at participating 7-Eleven stores on Sunday. Why? Look at your calendar. It's 7/11, and the convenience-store chain will celebrate the 83rd anniversary of its founding that day. Those addicting slushy cola drinks are free until participating 7-Eleven stores run out of the special birthday cups. Some will even offer live music in front of their stores. (Note that a few 7-Eleven stores may not offer the giveaway.)
Tan Vinh

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All-State soccer honors for Shorecrest, King’s players

Four Shorecrest soccer players and two King’s players have won positions on all-state soccer teams named by sports writers from around Washington.

Shorecrest midfielder Michael Harris #5 won a place on the class 3A first team.  Photo, right, by Wilson Tsoi.

Shorecrest players named to the second team:

--forward Glenn Paden #20 (Photo, left, by Wilson Tsoi) 

--defender Joe Schober #4 (Photo, right, by Wilson Tsoi)


Honorable mention went to Shorecrest midfielder Hiei Rose.

King’s forward Trevor Bartels and defender Sam Hauck won spots on the Class 1A First team.

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Puget Sound Blood Center thanks Richmond Beach for a successful blood drive

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Photo: Anina Sill donates blood at the Richmond Beach bloodmobile event. Photo courtesy Tom Petersen.
 
From the Puget Sound Blood Center:
Thank you Richmond Beach Community for your donations. An incredible 24 people gave their support by registering to donate at your blood drive. Of those 24 people we collected 23 units of blood. Your donations will help up to 69 patients in your community. Together this year, you have touched the lives of over 216 patients in your region!
The next opportunity to give blood will be Saturday, August 28.


The Puget Sound Blood Center: Saving lives through research, innovation, education and excellence in blood and tissue services in partnership with our community.

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LFP Reads The Whistling Season and the author is at Third Place Books

LFP Reads has chosen local author Ivan Doig's novel The Whistling Season for its sixth city-wide Summer book.

Doig will attend a book club discussion of The Whistling Season Monday, July 26 at 7 pm at the book store, and all are invited.

The Whistling Season is set in early-20th century Montana (familiar Doig country) and is the story of a widower who advertises for a housekeeper for him and his children -- the woman who steps off the train is just right for the job, and her brother adds his own color to all of their lives. “It's a novel any reader 13 and up can enjoy,” noted LFP Reads committee member Cheryl McKeon.

Cookies: Great Harvest Bakery, on the lower level of the Lake Forest Park Towne Centre, is offering a free cookie to readers of The Whistling Season. An art exhibit and a program about Montana pioneer life round out the summer’s events.

Artists: Entries for a one-day two-dimensional exhibit should reflect a theme from the book. Entry forms for the July 31 exhibit are at Third Place Books. The art work will be displayed on the lower level of the mall.

Earlier LFP Reads titles were: Broken For You by Stephanie Kallos; The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch; Plenty: A Year of Eating Locally by Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon; The Worst Hard Time by Tim Egan; and A Sudden Country by Karen Fisher. While Plenty was written by a couple from BC, all the others are by local authors.

LFP Reads is a consortium of the City, the LFP branch of King County Library, Friends of the Library, and Third Place Books.

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Would you really know if someone were drowning? Read this article.

Friday, July 9, 2010


This article was sent by Terri Jones, Northshore Fire Community Educator

The Instinctive Drowning Response - so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. 

To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the number two cause of accidental death in children, age 15 and under, just behind vehicle accidents. 

Of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In ten percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch them do it, having no idea it is happening (source: CDC). Drowning does not look like drowning - Dr. Pia, in an article in the Coast Guard's On Scene Magazine, described the instinctive drowning response like this:

Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled, before speech occurs.

Drowning people's mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people's mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water.

Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water's surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water, permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe.
Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment.

From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people's bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs.


Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are in the water:
  • Head low in the water, mouth at water level
  • Head tilted back with mouth open
  • Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
  • Eyes closed
  • Hair over forehead or eyes
  • Not using legs - Vertical
  • Hyperventilating or gasping
  • Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
  • Trying to roll over on the back
  • Ladder climb, rarely out of the water.

So if a crew member falls overboard and every looks O.K. don't be too sure. Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don't look like they're drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. 

One way to be sure? Ask them: "Are you all right?" If they can answer at all, they probably are. If they return a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents: children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.

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Sky Nursery July seminars


These popular seminars at Sky Nursery are free and require no pre-registration.  Sky Nursery is located at 18528 Aurora Ave N, Shoreline 98133, 206-546-4851.

Saturday, July 10                         11 am – 1 pm
Pondless Water Features          Charlie Shull
Would you like the sight and sound of water in your landscape, but you aren’t really a “fountain” person and you don’t want a pond? Then build a “pondless” water feature, where the water seems to disappear into the ground. This can be a waterfall, a group of rock columns, or an overflowing urn. Sky’s own Charlie Shull will take you through the seven simple steps to complete one.


Thursday July 15                         5 pm – 6 pm
Lavender Magic                        Emily Wilkins
Can’t make it to Sequim for the Lavender Festival?  Then come to Sky instead!  Let Sky’s own lavender enthusiast, Emily Wilkins, tell you everything you need to know about growing and using this wonderful plant.   Lavenders come in an assortment of sizes, colors, fragrances, and uses—she’ll help you pick the perfect ones for your garden, craft uses, or even cooking. 


Saturday July 17                          11 am – 12:30 pm
Gorgeous Container Gardens:  the Principles of Design        Megan Bonner
Join Sky’s own Megan Bonner for an intro to the principles of container design.  It all starts with choosing a great container… then balancing heights, foliage textures, and shapes; matching and contrasting colors; choosing plants that are right for your sun exposure… in short, designing a miniature garden.


Saturday, July 24                        11 am – 1 pm
All About Ponds                       Charlie Shull
Join Sky’s own water gardening expert, Charlie Shull, for this informative seminar on installing and maintaining your own backyard pond. Learn about filter and pump requirements, plants and edging, and how to establish and maintain a healthy ecology and clear water. Find out why water gardening is one of the “hottest” trends.

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Book Review by Aarene Storms: Skinned


Skinned by Robin Wasserman
Review by Aarene Storms, RB Teen Librarian

17-year-old Lia is rich, popular, pretty, athletic...and technically, dead.

Futuristic technology has allowed Lia's brain to be salvaged from the traffic accident that killed her body. With her memories downloaded into an indestructible mechanical body, Lia tries to re-enter her old life where she left off. However, society now treats her as non-human, her friends have moved on, her boyfriend is freaked out and her family doesn't want her back. Only Auden, an outcast boy from Lia's old school, is willing to be her friend. But, is there any future to a relationship between an imperfect, easily-damaged "org" and an immortal "mech head?"

This thought-provoking novel is first in planned trilogy that explores the definition of humanity. It contains few wispy hints of sexual activity (nothing on-page) and no cussing. Drug use is part of this society's normal experience-Lia's exclusion from drug use activities gives her and the reader an interesting perspective.

Recommended for readers who enjoy dystopic and futuristic novels, ages 14 to adult. 

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Huge drug bust in Mountlake Terrace leads to Shoreline grow operation

by Dustin DeKoekkoek in the MLTNews.com

On Wednesday morning, June 30, at approximately 6:30 AM, City of Mountlake Terrace officers, detectives, a reserve officer and the evidence room technician assisted the South Snohomish County narcotics task force and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in serving warrants in King County and Snohomish County. Most of our personnel were at a home in the City of Shoreline in the area of 3rd and 165th Pl NE, which was a split-level home occupied by two adult females and an infant. The home had a large marijuana grow operation with power diversion. Approximately 350, four foot tall, maturing plants were seized at the home along with grow lights, hoods, power diversion equipment and sophisticated ventilation system.

Shoreline police assisted in the service of two warrants June 30 on behalf of the South Snohomish County Narcotics Task Force.

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Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Plant of the Month - Goatsbeard

Thursday, July 8, 2010


Aruncus dioicus, goatsbeard.  Photo from Wikimedia.

By Sarah Baker, Kruckeberg Garden Director

Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus var. acuminatus) is a northwest native perennial with large, feathery plumes of tiny white flowers in early summer. Its common names, goatsbeard and bride’s feathers, are clearly inspired by the plant’s creamy white blossoms.

The plant resembles an astilbe in appearance. It may take a season to get going after planting, but once established is a reliable and spectacular garden specimen when given decent soil with sufficient moisture, dappled shade, and enough room to properly show off. When happy, goatsbeard can reach a spread of around 6 feet.

The genus Aruncus has from one to four species – opinions among botanists differ. Aruncus dioicus is native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, occurring throughout the cooler parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. Aruncus aethusifolius, a Korean relative with a charming, compact form, is also available in the nursery trade.

Goatsbeard, a Kruckeberg Botanic Garden favorite, is lovely when used at woodland edges or in other shady plantings. We recommend it highly as garden plant and are happy to have it available to customers in the MsK Nursery, located at the Garden.


The Kruckeberg Botanic Garden, located in Richmond Beach at 20312 15th Ave NW, Shoreline 98177, is part of the Shoreline Parks department.

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Regional Animal Services in effect July 1


On July 1, residents in unincorporated King County and 27 contracting cities, including Shoreline and Lake Forest Park, have a new Regional Animal Services model to handle animal control and licensing services.

King County Executive Dow Constantine was joined by mayors from the cities of Mercer Island, Redmond, Shoreline and Lake Forest Park to ceremonially sign the service contracts for each city.

“We are very pleased with the collaborative effort between the cities and the county. The City-County Workgroup completed some very delicate negotiations to resolve some potentially contentious issues,” said Lake Forest Park Mayor David Hutchinson. “It is a great example of how, by working together, we can achieve a more effective and efficient animal control program for all of the residents of the county.”

Under the new model, King County will be divided into four animal control districts, each staffed by at least one animal control officer, and cities will enjoy significant economies of scale.

The cost for pet licenses for spayed animals will remain unchanged at $30 and will be reduced to $60 for an unaltered pet (previously $90).  Seniors 65 and older can license a pet for $15 with proof the pet has been spayed/neutered.  

The new model changes King County Code to institute a no-tolerance fine for unlicensed pets in the county, with fines ranging from $125 for a spayed or neutered pet to $250 for an unaltered pet. 

As part of the transition to the new model, residents will have a 90 day amnesty period from July 1 to October 1 to purchase a license for unlicensed pets without facing a fine. Residents can purchase pet licenses in person at City Hall as well as online. Visit the King County webpage for a list of other sales locations or to purchase or renew a license online.

Under the new Regional Animal Services model, there are a number of discounts for disabled and senior residents, as well as for those with juvenile pets up to 6 months old. All dogs and cats over 8 weeks of age must be licensed.

King County Pet licenses come with many benefits including:

  • The first time your pet is found, King County will attempt to skip the shelter and deliver the pet to your home.
  • Licensed pets have a longer stray hold at the shelter to give residents a chance to locate a lost pet before it is made available for adoption.
  • The Vacation Pet Alert Program allows residents to provide contact information for a pet’s caretaker while they are away so that King County will have the correct contact information if something happens while the owner cannot be reached.
  • Pet license fees fund programs that help thousands of homeless animals in King County find new homes each year, and pay for services such as spay/neuter programs.
  • Licensed missing pets are found faster by reporting them to Regional Animal Services. If a resident finds a stray pet wearing a pet license, they simply need to call the phone number on the license to get contact information for the owner, even after business hours.

Shoreline and Lake Forest Park have contracted with PAWS in Lynnwood for shelter services.

Many of the 27 participating cities signed a two and a half year contract. Shoreline's goal is to take animal control in-house, but staff and police felt that the other option of six months only was not enough time to get a program set up, hire staff, find facilities and equipment and the two and a half year contract would be more than enough time.

For more information, visit the King County website

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Ronald Wastewater District projects completed at less than bid price

This community update is provided by Ronald Wastewater

Ronald Wastewater District has been taking advantage of the favorable and low construction prices to complete some maintenance projects. “Not only are the ratepayers getting a great big bang for their buck, the projects are being completed at less than the bid price,” says Board President Brian Carroll.

The District recently finished a complete rehabilitation on its largest sewage pumping station on the corner of 10 Ave NE and NE 185 St. The project was completed for $5,669 less than the bid price, a 1% savings.

Several Capital Improvement Projects have also been completed at less than the bid price. “We are pleased that our engineering firm has been thorough in their design work, which has prevented the need for project change orders,” says Carroll, “and this has kept construction costs down. Not only that, but we are also able to replace side sewers for our ratepayers in the project area at no additional cost to them.”

The project along NE 155 St between 12 Ave NE and 15 Ave NE came in under the bid price by $38,293, a 9% savings. The project that included work on N 185 St between Meridian Ave N and 1 Ave NE and portions of the Richmond Beach area came in under the bid price by $14,233, a 3.4% savings.

“During our last project,” said General Manager Michael Derrick, “when we replaced some sanitary sewer mainlines and side sewers in portions of the Briarcrest and Richmond Beach Neighborhoods, the contractor encountered very wet running sand in Richmond Beach Drive NW. This unexpected condition caused the project to go over the bid price by $38,036.” He said, “It was one of those unfortunate experiences that cannot be anticipated. One part of the soil under the road was dry, a few feet down the road the soil was wet and flowing.”

The Board of Commissioners has in good times and bad times kept a close eye on controlling costs here at Ronald Wastewater District. Especially now, during difficult economic times, are they particularly conscious of where the money goes.

For 60 years, Ronald Wastewater District has been working together with you, our ratepayers, to be excellent environmental stewards.

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Tam Osborne new Director of Human Resources for Shoreline School District

Tam Osborne has been appointed as the new Director of Human Resources for the Shoreline School District, effective July 1, 2010.

For the past 12 years, Tam has worked for the Edmonds School District as the Director of Performing Arts and most recently as the Director of Certificated Staff in Human Resources. Prior to Edmonds, Tam worked for the Central Kitsap School District for three years and in Shoreline for 15 years. In Shoreline, Tam was an orchestra teacher at elementary, middle school and high school. He was Activity Coordinator, Athletic Director and Assistant Principal at Shorecrest. Tam and his family reside in Lake Forest Park and they are parents in the Shoreline Schools.

Osborne succeeds Bill Fritz, who is leaving Shoreline to become superintendent of the Steilacoom School District in Pierce County.

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Evan Smith: School District now plans to make Ronald building part of Shorewood

By Evan Smith

ShorelineAreaNews Politics Writer

The agreement between the Shoreline School District and the Shoreline Historical Museum is apparently off.

The School District now plans to include the old Ronald School building in plans for a rebuilt Shorewood High School.

The change follows the failure of the Museum to complete purchase of nearby property to which it hoped to move the Ronald building that it has occupied since 1976. The nearby land now has another buyer.

The District and the Museum board reached an “agreement in principle” before the February election for a bond issue to build new Shorewood and Shorecrest high schools. The agreement called for the Museum to buy land east of its current parking lot. The School District would move the building to the site that the Museum would purchase and give the Museum full title to the building. Then, the Museum would move to the closed Sunset School while the Ronald building is moved.

Now, the District says that it will go back to its earlier plan to incorporate the Ronald building into the Shorewood campus.

A news release from the School District says, “The architectural plan will incorporate the historic Ronald School building into the Shorewood design - honoring, preserving and restoring the original school building, while bringing the unreinforced brick masonry building up to code and making it a safe structure for student use.”

The District says that, after the agreement in principle, it had directed its architects to plan the new Shorewood with the Ronald building gone, but now it has to return to its earlier plans because the Museum did not meet needed conditions by July 1. 

Those conditions included having a signed purchase agreement for the new land, a signed legal agreement with the District stipulating all of the necessary conditions outlined in the agreement in principle and dropping an appeal of the District’s determination of non significance of its plans for the Ronald building.

The District says that it must move forward to stay on its planned construction timeline and to be able to get $17 million in state construction money.

Museum Executive Director Vicki Stiles said Wednesday that the Museum board is looking for other land to buy.

Meanwhile, the District and the Museum are waiting for a decision on the Museum’s appeal of the District’s determination of non-significance on plans for the 98-year-old Ronald building.

A hearing examiner hired by the School District will make the decision, not after a hearing but based solely on written pleadings from both sides. The parties expect a decision in mid-July.

The District says that there are no plans for the Museum to use any part of the Ronald building and that the Museum will have to move elsewhere. School spokesman Craig Degginger said Wednesday that plans for the Museum to move to the vacant Sunset School site were only part of a plan to accommodate the Museum during a move, a move that now will not happen.

The District says that it has no desire to have Ronald School demolished. “It is a City of Shoreline official historical landmark, and as such is a protected structure.”

The District says that conceptual plans for Shorewood High School incorporate the Ronald School into the design, bridging the historic landmark structure with the brand new building. 

“The plan proposes Shorewood to use the upper two floors for visual and performing arts to support the school's award winning programs, while the lower level would be renovated to accommodate other school programs,” the District says.

The District says it can’t leave the Museum in Ronald School and build around it because the Shorewood site is just 26 acres, and is small by standards for a high school. By comparison, Shorecrest is 38 acres. By incorporating the Ronald School as part of the school, the District can more readily accommodate all the needs of a new Shorewood elsewhere on the site. These include baseball, softball, a synthetic turf football field and a practice field, not to mention parking for teachers, staff and students.

Stiles noted Wednesday that the six-tenths of an acre that the Museum occupies will do little to close the gap.

The School District says that the remodeling of Ronald School will be governed by the historic buildings chapter of the 2009 International Existing Building Code. 

“At a minimum, the structure will have to be stabilized to resist collapse during an earthquake. It must meet current standards for an un-reinforced masonry building. This generally means adding some type of bracing elements to selective walls and floors or roof,” says a statement on the District web site.

The District statement added, “In addition to the minimum that is required for historic buildings, the District will upgrade the Ronald School for full compliance with all other codes. These include life-safety, energy, mechanical and electrical, storm water drainage, and ADA accessibility. The District intends to extend the functioning life of the historic building for many years to come so that it provides maximum safety to students and the community, conserves energy to protect the environment and save taxpayer dollars for building operation, manages storm water drainage responsibly on the site and allows universal accessibility to all citizens. Anticipated upgrades include providing fire sprinklers, insulating the exterior walls and roof, providing new thermal windows, providing safe emergency egress, providing full handicap accessibility throughout the building, and reducing current downstream flooding impacts due to storm water runoff.

“All of the upgrades will take place on the interior of the building to preserve the building's historic character. Concrete will be added to the inside face of some exterior brick walls as reinforcement. This approach is preferable to adding reinforcement to the interior walls and floors since it reduces the potential safety hazard of falling brick on the exterior of the building and disturbs less square footage on the interior.

“The District plans to revitalize the original Ronald School building to provide exemplary education for Shoreline students in the 21st century. According to the building's landmark description, the 1926 addition to the south side of the building was "clad in wood rather than brick in anticipation of further building expansion." The new high school building will attach to this elevation as originally planned.

“The District will return to the preferred plan that emerged from a year-long dialogue with the community-based school design team. The plan is to re-purpose the Ronald School as a cornerstone of the design for the new Shorewood, converting spaces into exciting and functional areas for student learning.

“Under no conditions would the District consider demolishing or destroying the Ronald School building in the process of replacing Shorewood High School. It is a ‘landmark’ building, with great educational significance to our community.”

The District says that Bassetti Architects, a firm with extensive experience in historic buildings, will design the new school. The firm has planned the historical renovation and restoration of several schools and buildings, including. Roosevelt High School, Franklin High School and West Seattle High School in the Seattle School District; Guggenheim Hall and Mary Gates Hall at the University of Washington, and Stadium High School in Tacoma,

The Museum has a lease on the land on which the building sits that expires in 2014. However, the District says that the lease provides that in the event the School District needs the land for District purposes, the lease may be cancelled at any time upon six months written notice to the Museum.

The District has an option to purchase the building from the Museum for $10. In the option agreement, the District agreed not to seek to recapture the building "prior to considering and eliminating all other reasonable alternatives for providing the District with needed facilities."

The District says that a seismic evaluation in 2009 determined that the Ronald School building does not meet the structural requirements to be seismically safe. Based upon the condition of the building, engineering professionals estimate that a new high school structure would have to be set back from an unretrofitted Ronald School at least 45 feet on all sides, with provisions to keep students out of this space.

Former Shoreline City Councilwoman Janet Way Wednesday described the School District’s actions as a “hostile takeover."

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Tuberculosis testing at Public Health Laboratories in Shoreline


By Allison Cook, Communications Office
Washington State Department of Health

When you hear the word tuberculosis, you probably think of a disease that was cured nearly 70 years ago. Yes, a breakthrough drug to treat this highly-contagious infection was discovered in the 1940s, but that doesn’t mean the disease is a thing of the past.

Tuberculosis, usually called TB, is a worldwide pandemic — a disease that is present across the globe. About one third of the world’s population has been infected with the disease.

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that usually affects the lungs, but can attack other parts of the body. In Washington, TB rates are higher than many other states.


In the early 20th century, tuberculosis was such a major public health concern that the need for a facility to do TB testing in Washington was fairly urgent. The Washington State Public Health Laboratories were created to respond to the need to test for TB, among other diseases. The facility has been around since the 1940s, and has been located in Shoreline for the last 25 years. Previously these labs were in downtown Seattle.

In the Public Health Laboratories TB lab, more than 2,000 tuberculosis tests are performed each year. Of those, about 250 are positive for the bacterial infection, on average. TB testing can be a very long and expensive process. Specimens come in from health care providers, hospitals, and local health agencies across the state.

The initial TB test is done with a microscope, looking at samples for Mycobacterium, the bacteria that cause the illness. Next, a culture test on the sample determines the exact type. All of this can take a couple weeks or more because TB bacteria grow slowly. When tuberculosis is confirmed, lab scientists do a drug test to see which medications will best treat the infection. Testing each sample — from start to finish — can cost from $250 to $300 each. Once a positive result is confirmed, lab staff work with other Department of Health employees who ensure treatment occurs quickly. Tuberculosis can be very hard to treat for many reasons, but time — the months or years it can take to clear an infection — is among the most difficult.

All tuberculosis testing at the lab is done by skilled microbiologists. TB testing is done in a special containment area, with staff wearing masks (respirators) and other personal protective equipment because the bacteria that cause TB can be spread through the air. To keep themselves and others safe, scientists who work with the TB bacteria have been trained to carefully use specific microbiology techniques in a laboratory facility specially designed for this work.

In April, the state Public Health Laboratories officially broke ground on a construction project to expand lab capacity. The project will provide more space for disease and environmental testing, ensure safety for staff and the community, and improve efficiency. The facility provides testing for public and private health organizations across the state. Testing is performed by nationally recognized scientists. More than five million tests are performed at the facility every year.

The need for TB testing may have been one of the reasons the state public health labs was put on the map, but the lab’s ability to do shellfish testing, newborn screening, environmental monitoring, and communicable disease testing helps ensure Washington is a safe, healthy place to live. The Washington State Public Health Laboratories is part of the Shoreline community that serves as a vital link in the public health system.

Photo credit, top to bottom: DOH, Wikimedia, DOH, Steven H. Robinson

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Shoreline Classic Car and Motorcycle Show to benefit Meridian Park Elementary

Wednesday, July 7, 2010


On August 1, 2010 The Greenwood Knights in conjunction with the Meridian Park PTSA will host the first Annual Shoreline Classic Car and Motorcycle Show to benefit Meridian Park Elementary grade school.

With room for over 250 classic cars and motorcycles, the Meridian Park Elementary parking lot will turn into a day of nostalgia and fun. Lance Lambert, host of the internationally syndicated Vintage Vehicle Show, will be on hand to host the event.

The Fabulous Hammers will play their own brand of 60's style Seattle music, and the legendary J.P. Patches, host of the longest running locally produced chidren's show (1958 - 1981) will be on hand for autographs and photo opportunities.

Free parking for spectators will be available next door at the Aurora Church of Nazarene and the Shoreline Children's Center.

Cost is free for spectators.

Entrance fee for classic cars is $20.00, $15.00 for motorcycles.

The event boasts two dozen sponsors, including Carter Subaru, Les Schwab of Shoreline, Central Market and Top Food and Drug.

For more information email MPCarShow.

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Summer pet food drive at Safeway

The Seattle Humane Society and Safeway have teamed up for a Summer Pet Food Drive to help fill the shelves of the Humane Society's Pet Food Bank. Collection barrels will be located in King County Safeway stores throughout July. Pick up a few extra cans of pet food or a bag of dry pet food – and drop them in the barrel. The Pet Food Bank provides food for the pets of low-income seniors and people disabled by AIDS.

Our Safeway stores are in North City and on Aurora.

North City Safeway
17202 15th Ave NE
Shoreline 98155

Aurora Safeway
15332 Aurora Ave N
Shoreline 98133

 Barrels are also available for donations at the Aurora Village Petco and the Aurora Square Pets Energy.

Petco
1241 N 205th
Seattle 98133

Pets Energy
15407 Westminster Way N #5A-1
Shoreline 98133 

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Concert at RB Community Park Wednesday, July 14



Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council and Shoreline Bank Present
The 2010 Summer of Fun Concerts in the Park Series
Featuring: The Diamond Experience (Neil Diamond Tribute)
Wednesday, July 14, 7 pm
Richmond Beach Community Park (RB Library grounds)

The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council proudly presents a tribute to one of the best singer/songwriters of our time. Please join us on July 14 as we welcome The Diamond Experience at Richmond Beach Community Park. Grab your dancing shoes, some friends and a picnic and come on down to this exciting, family friendly show. Rain or shine, the entertainment will be fine.


Neil Diamond is one of the most successful pop music performers in history, scoring numerous #1 hits and selling out concerts throughout the world in the past four decades. Neil Diamond and his music continue to appeal to a wide audience. "The Diamond Experience" stays true to his legacy by providing a wholesome show of music and memories for fans of all ages! "The Diamond Experience" brings the wholesome and heartwarming passion of Neil Diamond's music to the stage, presenting and performing well-known favorites such as "Sweet Caroline", "Song Sung Blue", "Cracklin Rose" and many more, with interesting facts and down home interaction with the audience.

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Richmond Beach Community Park is located at Richmond Beach Road at 21st Ave NW in Shoreline, Washington. Information about these and other Arts Council events and programs is available at the website or by calling the SLFPAC at 206-417-4645. Concerts in the Park are sponsored by Shoreline Bank, the cities of Lake Forest Park and Shoreline and 4Culture.


 The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to nurture all of the arts in the community through programs and events, arts education, advocacy, and support for artists and arts organizations.

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“Where Our Wild Things Are” Habitat Tour Team kicks off this Saturday’s tour


By the WOWTA Team
Shoreline’s 1st Annual “Where Our Wild Things Are” Habitat Tour will be Saturday, July 10 from 10 am - 4 pm. There will be mini-learning experiences at each of the seven habitats on the tour, which are designed to demonstrate how easy and fun it is to create a beautiful sanctuary for wildlife in your own yard.

The tour is free of charge, open to the public and begins at Calvin Presbyterian Church, 18826 3rd Ave NW, Shoreline 98177, where maps and directions for the tour will be available. For more information, visit WOWTA’s website or search WOWTA on Facebook.


Since this is the final article before the tour takes place, the WOWTA Team that organized this tour wanted to share a few thoughts with you about what it’s meant to work together on this special event:

          It's hard for us to believe that in just a few days anyone interested in learning more about different types of wildlife habitats will have the chance to talk with neighbors and local experts on just about any aspect of habitat creation imaginable. 

          The WOWTA Habitat Tour has been over a year in the making and worked on intensely by our full team for the past six months. For those of us who volunteered to pull this inaugural tour together, these past six months have been like a dream come true. Our shared passion for seeing conventional suburban landscapes (single-layered, monoculture, resource-thirsty, chemical dependent, high-maintenance lawn) turned into multi-layered, multi-species, drought tolerant, wildlife and earth friendly habitat brought us together in this endeavor. 

          Our commitment to bringing fun, play and ease to the process of creating this tour has made these months of planning and work feel joyful. We have all volunteered for various projects and programs in the past, and typically, there’s no getting around the fact that some part of the experience includes completing more work than you ever bargained for, using up more hours than you ever signed up for, causing more headaches than you ever wished for…but collaborating with this team to put together Shoreline’s 1st Annual WOWTA Habitat Tour has been so much fun! We laughed and bonded through every planning meeting. 

          Not only are we leaving a legacy of an amazing tour for a great cause, but we each have a whole new group of special friends in our community. Isn’t that what volunteer experience should look like? We believe that our special team dynamic has likewise spilled over into the greater Shoreline community. Everyone we’ve told about our habitat tour has eagerly embraced it and wanted to participate. 

          Thank you to the residents, officials and businesses of Shoreline, Edmonds, Lake Forest Park and Seattle for all your support. We encourage you all to come out and join us this Saturday - and every year - for this historic and exciting event.


The WOWTA Team: Afia Menke, Ann Erickson, Barbara Guthrie, Boni Biery, Christine Southwick, Jennifer Rotermund, Judy Griesel, Krista Tenney, Loren Alexanian, Nan Skinner

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